World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

Theinterruptionofthe rescheduled

Euro 2020 tournamenthascast an

intriguingairof mysteryoverEurope’s

resumedQatar 2022 qualifiers.

Stanislav Cherchesov’s word-spinning

provedinsufficientto keephiminpost

after Russia’sgroup-stageexit;thehaste

ofhisdeparture wasevidencedbythe

needforsuccessorValeriKarpintodouble

up,initially, with hisclubjobatRostov

before leavingthe clubinearlyAugust.

BycontrastSwitzerland’s impressive

progresstotheEuro 2020 quarter-finals,

includingthedramaticshootoutvictory

overFrance,raisedsignificantlytheprofile

ofcoachVladimirPetkovic– so significant

thattheylosthimtoBordeauxinFrance.

HisreplacementisformerSwissdefender

Murat Yakin,whosecoachingCVincludes

suchclubsasBaselandSpartak Moscow.

Fourofthe tengroups were headedon

restartby teamswhohadwon allthree

earlygames:newly-crownedEuropean

championsItaly, Euro 2 02 0 runners-up

England,Euro 2020 semi-finalists

Denmarkand,suprisingly, Armenia.

RobertoMancini’sAzzurriarein one

ofthe least threateninggroupsand

shouldsoonbebookingflightsto Doha.

Theironly seriousresistancemaybe the

imminentawaytriptoa Switzerland

teamundernewmanagementandthen

thereversetieinNovember, although

the 3 -0victoryoverthe“Nati” at the

Eurossuggeststhatitwouldtakequite

Rivalries renewed

on road to Qatar

Whilesomenationswillalsobeembarkingonnew

erasfollowingtheappointmentofnewheadcoaches

UEFAWorldCup Qualifier

KEIRRADNEDGE

Usuallythe WorldCup

preliminariespolitelyawaitthe

post-Euroautumn,whenshattered

summertimedreamscanberenewed.

Thistimearoundthehorizonhas

beencloudedbytheEurofall-out.

Notableamongthosewith a hazy

viewwillbe Germany,Russiaand

Switzerland, whohaveallchanged

theirnationalcoach.

Germany alwaysknew thatJoachim

Lowwouldabandonshipaftersailing

themintotheWorldCup qualifiers

andthe Euros.HansiFlickthushad

a watchingbriefatEuro 2 02 0.Not

sowell-preparedforachangeof

commandwereSwitzerland and

Russiaafter contrastingEuropean

Championshipcampaigns.

U

p

d

a

t

e

WorldCup

holders...France

wereheldtoa1-1

drawbyUkraine

inMarch

Underpressure...Germanywerebeaten2-1byNorthMacedonia

athomeinMarchandarecurrentlyoutsidethequalifyingplaces